With temperatures rising above 100 degrees, Delta County residents are utilizing various recreational strategies for cooling off. Boating and kayaking the rivers, swimming at the local pools and reservoirs, drinking ice-cold beverages, and grilling outdoors are all popular tactics for enjoying the heat. A good summertime music play-list is a great way to compliment the summertime activities we enjoy.

Delta County Libraries offers a way for people to create a personalized playlist of new music without leaving the air-conditioned comfort of their own home or reaching into their pocketbooks for anything other than a library card. The libraries maintain annual subscriptions to over 40 valuable resources that make up the online library. Freegal Music is one of those resources.

Freegal Music is a free music service that offers access to over 13 million songs, including Sony Music's catalog of legendary artists. According to their product description, "the collection is comprised of music from over 40,000+ labels with music that originates in over 80 countries. There is no software to download, and there are no digital rights management (DRM) restrictions."

That means, whether you want your summer playlist to include rock 'n roll, country, reggae, jazz, blues, hip-hop, top 40 hits, pop, gospel, or a little bit of everything, Freegal is a great opportunity for anyone with a valid library card. Patrons can access up to three hours of streaming time and five downloads per week, per library card.

"This is a resource that we love to offer our patrons," says Markee Travis, technology manager for Delta County Libraries. "No matter what your age or taste in music, there is something for everyone on Freegal. The more people learn about this resource, the more it gets used, and the happier we are to continue subscribing to it."

Usage is a very large consideration in the management of the online library. Library staff use a "cost-per-use" calculation when evaluating whether to continue subscribing to any given resource. "In other words," Travis says, "the best way for patrons to make sure Freegal Music, or any other resource, is renewed, is to use it often and tell their friends!"

In 2016, patrons downloaded over 2,200 songs and streamed nearly 12,000 songs using Freegal. "These numbers are good, but could be much higher considering the number of library users in Delta County and the popularity of music, especially free music," Travis states.

So, when preparing for your next barbecue, day out on the boat, or trip to the high country, think about using Freegal Music to help set the tone for the day. Freegal offers a free app that makes putting music on a phone or device easy, allowing you to take your music everywhere you go. Contact your local library or get started now by visiting http://deltalibraries.org/databases/.